Perfect Timing- EC Student Spotlight on Kayla Medlin

Unlike some college juniors, Kayla Medlin has a plan. A Sports Communication major, when she is not in class or working with the Emmanuel Leadership Initiative Student Advisory Board or as captain of the Hawkettes, Kayla can be found at the Shaw Athletic Center where she serves as the Assistant Sports Information Director. Recently, she accepted an internship at TL Hanna High School in Anderson, SC where she'll be running the social media pages and website for the school's Athletic Department.

Originally from Anderson, SC. Kayla started off at Emmanuel as a Biology major with a minor in Writing.

“I’ve always wanted to write,” Kayla said. “But I was never sure on what I wanted to write about.”

After taking a work study position with the Sports Information Department last year, Kayla quickly discovered her passion and what she wanted to write about…sports.

In order to pursue a career in Sports Communication, Kayla knew she would have to change her major. A few weeks later, the Sports Communication concentration, a part of the Communication Studies Department, was introduced and Kayla was the first to sign up.

“It was perfect timing,” Kayla said. “Through working with the Sports Information Department, I realized how much the field of Sports Communication intrigued me. Working in Sports Communication seems like something I would wake up and enjoy doing every day.”

However, Kayla doesn’t have to wait until after graduation to gain experience in her chosen field.

“As the Assistant Sports Information Director, I’m working directly with Lance Miller, the Sports Information Director,” Kayla said. “Right now we’re working to get all rosters, pictures, and player information updated on the website, along with getting schedules up to date. The department is taking on a larger role this year in the Athletic Department, I’m excited about the direction we’re heading.”

How will this experience help Kayla after graduation?

“Lance knows how it feels to be in the Assistant role, so he is making sure that I have what I need because he knows this is the field I want to go into,” Kayla said. “My job is technically a work study position but it’s supposed to feel more like a full-time job which helps me prepare for what it will be like once I enter the field.”

Kayla’s journey to Emmanuel College was unlike most students as she started college in her 20’s.

“It was hard to adjust at first being a little older,” Kayla said. “I have to make sure that I don’t come down a step because I’ve been 19, I’ve been on my own. To already backtrack by going to college, I wanted to make sure I didn’t backtrack even further.”

What Kayla has found during her time at EC is that although many of her friends are younger than her, she is also able to connect with the Residence Directors on campus who are around her age, which is something she cherishes.

What makes Emmanuel unique?

“Professors genuinely care,” Kayla said. “We’re at a Christian college, but not everyone here believes what I believe. Professors here show the grace that God has, and the love that Jesus shows for us every single day by loving each of us the same, caring for us all in the same way.”

Although she hasn’t had him as a professor, Kayla named Pastor Tracy Reynolds as someone who has positively impacted her life while at Emmanuel.

“Over the summer he was my work mentor,” Kayla said. “I was in the office with him every day and he always had something new to encourage me with. It meant more to me than he probably thinks it does. He’s been there for me through a lot of struggles that I’ve had financially. He’s kept me here, he’s kept me grounded.”

What advice would Kayla give to an incoming freshman?

“Don’t isolate yourself,” Kayla said. “It’s really easy to hide out and not attend activities on campus, but the only way to feel included, be poured into and feel encouraged is to put yourself out there and get involved.”

After graduation, Kayla hopes to become an Athletic Director at the High School level, and is confident the experience she's gained at Emmanuel both through internships and in the classroom will lead her to a successful career.